The evenings of our first few months of moving into Lekki were filled with sporadic gunfire in the area as it seemed to be the season for armed robbers,so maybe we got a bit desensitised to hearing the noise and went into automatic pilot locking the doors,putting the lights out and staying away from the windows making sure the security men were locked into the compound with us and so on.I heard my first detailed eye witness account on Xmas day, we had an open house and lots of guests.The last set of guests came in early evening and recounted there near miss experience at The Palms a mall just down the road from us.Apparently they drove past the armed robbers who were on their way to rob The Newscafe Restaurant and bar were they proceeded to strip everyone of there money jewellery and mobile phones. From there they headed to shoprite on the inside of the mall and robbed them of all there takings and terrorised shoppers.I remember sitting there and thinking how insane the conversation sounded as we drank champagne, it seemed as if we were discussing the weather.
The mall was robbed again last weekend,and my daughter reminded me at that exact same time I was pressuring them to get out of the house and go to the mall to watch a movie.I thank God they did not give in to my trying to get them to go out and have a good time.They tend not to go out as much as they did in England,there is just not that much to do out here.
I was out the other day getting some groceries from shoprite trying to Ignore the bullet holes on the walls outside and just get on with it,as everybody does out here,when a wall of fear hit me so strong it made my eyes water. I had to sit on one of the benches in the mall as I felt nauseous.Here we all are going about our normal lives with fixed smiles on our faces and we are living in a war zone.
Last night was a little too close for comfort,I had just finished settling the little ones to bed at about 8pm when the gunfire started it sounded like one of the robbers had gotten hold of an automatic weapon and the gun fire went on for about 10minutes.They were robbing the local restaurant a mere four doors down from me. four doors down!,and yet we wake up get dressed and act like nothing happened,is this healthy? I don't know....are we as a nation too cavalier in our easy going attitude when it comes to our lives on the line?or is it that we have no choice but to be cavalier, because are we not just here by his grace?
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26 comments:
That is what scares me about Lagos the most. Everyone carries on as if it's normal and it is that acceptance of it that even makes it more normal. I hope you are well. Praying the protection of God for you and yours.
Scary stuff. One can only thank God that you guys are all well. The thought alone...
One of the bloggers I read actaully had then in her house. http://nyemoni.blogspot.com/2008/03/i-had-post-all-typed-up-and-ready-to.html
One of the duties of any state, any civilized state is to protect her citizens. No-one is saying that there isn't armed robbery everywhere, its just that callous nature of ours, and the sheer wickedness of the perpetrators that really gets me. My Uncle was shot dead in his bedroom two months ago by Armed Robbers, he was only visiting Nigeria from the US. It hurts. God bless U, God keep you and yours always.
yeah... it's freaky. it really trips me out, the crime situation in Lagos in particular.
and like you said, the main problem is not the crime itself but our general acceptance of it; when we become inured to such violations of our dignity, we really lose something as human beings.
just curious... if i am not prying too much: how are the kids adapting to the environment in general? they like? or no?
Awww! sorry I'll continue to pray a safe Lagos. Come to think of it,I never go to the malls despite the fact that I come to Naija a lot. I just drive past them.I prefer the mama puts and pepper soup joints!(LOL!!!) Let's hope Fashola is able to swing it.I tend to stay away from Lagos as much as possible.
Kemi..Thanks I need all the prayers I can get.
ababoy...gosh I am so so sorry to hear about your uncle....being here is like being in a russian roulette game you never know when your going to get shot,I am vaguely scared today.by the way if youve emailed me today i havent ignored it, as I write my account has temporarily crashed .
Comb.. They are managing we have to change their school though,we paid a load of money to put them in the British International School but it sucks big time the teaching is not stable so we are going to try the American International as we hear its much better but even more bloody expensive.I love this country but I hate how the government treats its people.but who am I to complain some kids cant even go to school, they walk the streets begging and hawking.
Iyaeto...dont go and get a ruuny tummy oh!
Desensitized and dehumized. We have been stripped of our senses. Hanging by a thin thread. Hoping on God for each day. Praying for a better tomorrow - Eh go better innit??
BTW #334 on Forbes New Richest Men - Aliko Dangote.
I guess Naija is heading somewhere right?
I'll take my States for now.
uche..I hope so but it is going to take a long time innit!
BTW...wow amazing how rich you can become in the flour business,oh and the spagetti and the fruit juice and the sugar and.......?
Thank God you and your family are ok. When I tell people I have not been back to Nigeria since I came twenty odd years ago, they scream and say how come, your lost, Nigeria is your country. Then I tell them because my parents tell me not to bother as Lagos especially is dangerous. For years I thought they were being a bit over protective. However it is stories like this that make me less enthusiatic about going back to Nigeria even for a holiday.
How can a country full of educated people, be such a lawless society run by thugs. The government sit back, and do nothing, don't even care. Why should they! As they all have house abroad, their children go to the best schools in America or England. As for them, well they are well protected by an array of secuity people, so as long as 'I am alright Jack', why should they concern themselves with the average Joe Bloggs on the Streets og Lagos. It is an appauling state of affairs in Nigeria, and we are suppose to be in the 21st century, even Ghana has left us behind. Keep safe all of you, for now I shall continue to live my life in England. Cannot see myself living in such a crazy enviroment
i couldnt believe who i found here...:) how r u all there??
lots of love and kisses from UK
paulina x
Warzone is the right word...
And we struggle..succesfully..to keep it all at bay..till it's staring us directly in the face..
It's no news that we slowly brought this situation on ourselves..it's not that Nigeria is the worst country when it comes to crime, but there's so much that's not being done that could easilly avert most of these crimes..
Here's hoping there's a turn around for the better..SOONEST..!!
mandy brown, What are u suggesting we do about this menace?
What really can 'we' do about it except continue to pray and ask for the grace of God and His protection over us?
My sista this is how we av been roughing it over the years o. God dey!
What can we do when they visit our neighbours other than to symathise with them, not being able to do anything more than that..........
In this Lagos of ours, in this Naija of ous....... (SIGH!!!!)
God help and guide our Leaders right and help our youths to know to grow with the love of the Fatherland at heart. So help us God
The thing is there is wealth amist poverty in a country that celebrates wealth even if you stole the money ,Look at the governors what happened is there case not worse than armed robbery,Now the ghetto boys can read and know in naija ,any thing goes ,use what you have to get what you want.Someone will say u want to be rich ok take ."ride or die".They then decided to take the bull by the horns and snatch everything they can even if it cost them there lives.
One day i was playing football in the ghetto with high school boys in mushin.Listening to them they were arguing amongst them selves which is the best place to rob ...home or bank...and they were damn serious.
U are right the govt does not send anyone ,only PDP people ,only if PDP people get robbed one by one will something change
Thanks...no problems
So depressing!! Really, all this talk about tourism is a laugh until something is done about the state of security. Who, I ask, in their right mind would want to risk all in Nigeria when there are just so many other very beautiful, much cheaper and very safe countries to go to? The government will have to use various ingenious and creative methods, as well as high tech measures to stop this horror....
I dont care if help comes from British police, FBI, OR WHOEVER, so long as the carnage stops or at least is reduced to an absolute minimum, GOVERNMENT ARE YOU LISTENING??????PLEASE DO SOMETHING.
Haba!! we cant even enjoy our own country with our kids, shame on all the security leaders in our country.
There seems to be no value to human life. People get killed and no one reacts. Does the media even report such things? When thieves attacked Newscafe and Shoprite, did the owners come out protesting? I am amazed at how 'normal' this kind of thing is in Nigeria. So sorry that your family has to live with such acts of terror. So sorry that so many other families will experience violence first hand or live in fear. God help us! However, what do we do in the meantime? We'll continue to pray but maybe we too should do something.
Ah! Mandy, I know his grace protects you but please try and protect yourself.
I dont think its wise to say which schools your kids go or are planning to go on the www. These criminals are internet savvy and you would be surprised that they know more about you than you would wish.
Pls tell your husband also. He was stating the price of the fees of your kid's school in Jeremy's blog and in the minds of these criminals - they can just be thinking that these returnees have too much money.
I used to have a blog and I was slightly more discreet than you were until I had an encounter with armed robbers. They worked out my home on the island and asked me what I brought back for them from my worldwide travels. I was so scared and when they saw the fear in our faces, they said they had been reading my blog. Needless to say, we came out alive and my family never forgave me.
Lawd have mercy! Robbers reading blogs? This one passes my understanding o, what a country! I thank God that you and yours are safe and I pray He continues to keep you and watch over you all....Amen!
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and yours. I think that is one of the many things that frighten me when I contemplate the idea of going back home. When we were much younger, our father was shot when armed robbers attacked us in our home. Thankfully, he survived and lived to tell the tale. But this was in the 1980s, the fact that it is still an issue now and that the attacks are even more brazen than back then compells one to wonder what those who could be doing something about this are actually doing or maybe they are content to sit back and watch as the people live in perpetual fear. Like you said, there will always be a divine power watching over and protecting us and I guess it is that reassurance that keeps many people going. Du courage
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Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Smartphone, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://smartphone-brasil.blogspot.com. A hug.
totally agree with anonymous@15 march 13.03. Pls dont be too personal. This is naija. Pls take note of what anonymous shared.
God be with you and yours.....
o ga o...people reading blogs to determine who to target? another breed of internet crime has risen...
until those in power stop looting the society, the underclass will not either.
please be safe
I cry for my motherland. The teens are not safe in UK anymore. Now, even things are spiralling out of the once-peaceful country that i adore where many diasporans are moving back to. May we find peace wherever we go o.
Hope you are well. :)
Drats...
And I'm back in about a week.
Sigh....
This is a reality check for me.
Thanks
Updates pls!
Hope all's well with ya.
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